Apparatus for and method of opening nuts



Jan. 12, 1937. s. B. FIELD APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF OPENING NUTS 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 27, 1934 INVENTOR B v mum.

ATTORNEY Jan. 12, 1937. s. 13. FIELD APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF OPENING NUTS Filed Jan. 27, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR BY \S'wui l3. 9:44.14

WM @LM ATTORNEY W Jan. 12, 1937. s. B. FIELD APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF OPENING NUTS Filed Jan. 27, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR d ATTORNEY Jan. 12, 1937. s. B. FIELD APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF OPENING NUTS Filed Jan. 27, 1.934 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR M Dz-c141 ATTORN EY Jan. 12, 1937. 5 3 D 2,067,566

APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD OF OPENING NUTS Filed Jan. 27, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 I INVENTOR \YMM a. JAM

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 12, 1937 PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FOR AND METHOD or OPENING NUTS Samuel B. Field, Holbrook, Mass., assignor to' Hawaiian Macadamia Nut Company Limited, Honolulu, Hawaii, a corporation of the Territory of Hawaii Application January 27, '1934, Serial No. 708,617

8 Claim.

This invention relates to apparatus for and to a method of opening nuts.

In general, the invention hasfor an object to provide novel and efficient apparatus for and also a method of opening nuts by which large quantities of the nuts may be opened in a rapid, economical and emcient mannerv to facilitate the separation .of the kernels from the shells with minimum injury to the kernels.

A further and more specific object of the invention is to provide a novel and highly efficient apparatus for and also a method of opening those nuts having hard shells such as the Macadamia nuts which grow in the Hawaiian Islands.

With these objects in view and such others as may hereinafter appear, the invention consists in the apparatus, in the method and in the various structures, arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly defined in the claims at the end ofthis specification.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the complete machine; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the feeding hopper; Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the complete machine; Fig. 4 is a sectional side elevation on line 4-4 of. Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a sectional front elevation of the line 55 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the saw to-v gether with a developed view of the nut supporting drum; Fig. '7, is an enlarged detail in front elevation of one of the splitting units partly broken away; and Fig. 8 is a sectional side elevation thereof.

In general, the different features of the present invention maybe embodied in an automatic machine for removing the shells from nuts, and particularly from nuts of the type of Macadamia nuts which are characterized by an unusuallypath of a rotary cutting member, preferably a rotating saw, by which a cut or groove is formed in the shell of the nut. Thereafter provision is made for spreading the nuts along the cut or groove, thus effecting the opening of the nut and 55 enabling the kernel to be removed with minimum thereafter moving the nuts thus held into the liability of injury thereto. In the illustrated ma.- chine various operations are performed automatically and in a rapid, efficient and economical manner.

Referring to the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, and particularly to Figs. 1, 4 and 5, provision is made. for withdrawing nuts from a bulk supply in a hopper l0 and, as herein shown, the nuts are fed from the hopper I0 through a feeding tube 12 by the centrifugal action of a rotating disc [4 which forms the bottom of the hopper ID. The disc I4 is continuously rotated and, as illustrated herein, is securely mounted at the upper end of a vertical shaft 32, which is journalled in bearings 34 and 36 fastened to the machine frame. The lower end of the vertical shaft 32 is provided with a bevel gear 38 'fast thereon which meshes with a bevel gear 40 fixed to a horizontal shaft 42. The shaft 42, journalled in 20 suitable bearings 44, is arranged to be driven by a sprocket'chain 4B which runs over a sprocket 48, fast on the shaft 42 and a sprocket fast on an intermediate shaft 52. The shaft 52 is provided with a gear 54 fast thereon which is driven by a pinion 56 fast on a shaft 58. The shaft 58 is driven by a motor, not shown, through the belt 60 and pulley 62, the latter being connected to the shaft 58 by a clutch of any suitable or well known construction. As shown in Fig. 3, a clutch handle 63 is provided to throw the clutch 65. A handwheel 61 is provided to enable the machine to be turned over by hand if found desirable.

The feeding tube l2 depends from the side of the hopper I0 and guides the nuts to a pair of gripping chucks IS, a plurality of which are mounted on revolving drums 20. In order to control the feeding of the nuts to the gripping chucks in definite timed relation to the revolving drums 20, and in order to align the nuts in proper relation to the gripping chucks I6, a pair of revolving discs 24 are provided to cooperate with an aligning member 30 stationed under the lower end of the feeding tube I2., The faces of these revolving discs 24 are mounted at a slight angle to each other forming a wedge-shaped space between them into which the feeding tube l2 extends. The discs have equally spaced openings 10 around the periphery thereof which permit the nuts to drop down from the tube l2 and into the aligning member 30 in timed relation to the arrival of the gripping chucks IS. The discs 24 are mounted on shafts 12 and are arranged to be driven through universal joints 16, one member E provided with a sprocket 80 fast thereon and is arranged to be driven by a sprocket 82, fast on the shaft 52, through a chain 86. The shafts I2 and I8 are suitably journaled in bearings 86 and 88, respectively, which are fastened to a tie piece '90, extending between the side members 02 and 9t which form a part of the machine frame. The

aligning member 30 is pivoted on a pin I| se-- curedin a bracket I02 which is fastened to a stationary drum I05 by a bolt I05. One end of the member 30 is-cup-shaped toreceive a nut and the other end is arranged to hold one end of a compression spring I00. The other end of the spring I06 is held in a drilled out portion of the bracket I02. With this arrangement the nut is yieldingly held in proper alignment, to permit the gripping chucks I 6 to grasp the nut and carry it around with the rotating drums 20, as will be described. The ends of the chucks is which engage the nuts are preferably cup-shaped to conform to the curvature of the nuts and it may sometimes be desired to cut saw teeth, in the ends of the chucks to grip the nuts, as indicated in Fig. 6. 1

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 5, a plurality of the gripping chucks I6 are arranged at equally spaced intervals in the drums 20 and provision is made for opening and closing the gripping chucks it. As herein shown in Figs. 4, 5 and 6, a yoked lever 308 is provided for each chuck to fit around a portion of the chuck shaft I5. The lever I00 is mounted on a stud IIO fast in the drum 20 and is provided at its outer end with a cam roll M2. The inner face of the yoked lever bears against a flange 2i of the drum 20 and is yieldingly held in this position by a compression spring lid. The compression spring is coiled around the chuck shaft between a roller thrust bearing H5, which bears against the flange 23 of the drum 20, and a collar I I8 held fast on the chuck shaft I5 by a split collar I20 which fits in a groove I22 in the chuck shaft I5, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. The chuck shaft I5 is mounted in the drum 20 in bearings I20 and I26 in flanges 23and 2i, respectively.

A second thrust collar I2? is mounted on the chuck shaft I5 between the collar H8 and the outer face of the lever I08. In order to open the chucks to receive a nut, stationary cams I20 are provided which cooperate with the cam rollers II2 on the levers I08. The stationary cams are mounted on brackets I 30 which are fastened to the underside of the tie piece 90, as illustrated in Fig. 4.

The drums 20 are arranged to rotate on and are supported by the stationary drum IN. The drum I06 is supported by brackets I30 and I3I which are fastened to the side frames 92 and 94, respectively. The drums 20 are provided with gear teeth on the flanges 23 around the periphery thereof and are arranged to be driven by pinions I32 fast on the shaft 52. v

In order to rotate the chucks and, consequently, the nuts on their own axes while traveling around with the drum 20, pinions I34 fast on the outer ends of the chuck shaft I 5 are provided to mesh with a ring gear- I30. The ring gear I36 is in turn driven in theopposite direction from that of the drums 20 as shown by arrows in Fig. 1, to further accelerate the speed of rotation of the chucks I0. The ring gear is mounted to turn on the drum 20 by the provision of a circular bearing I38 fastened to the side thereaoemeo of. The ring gear is held in place by retaining members I40 also fastened to the drum 20. In order to rotate the ring gear I36 a pinion I42 is provided on a shaft I48, journalled in bearings I06 and I48 secured to the stationary drum. I04.' The pinion I42 meshes with internal gear teeth Hi3 out in the ring gear I36 and is arranged to be driven by a chain I50 which runs over a sprocket I 52 fast on the shaft I64 and sprocket I56 fast on the shaft 52.

From the description thus far, it will be observed that the nuts are fed from the hopper I0 to the chucks It in timed relation to the rotation of the drums 20 as controlled by the observed that the drum is continuous in operation and that the chucks It are rotated by the gears I32 continuously as they roll around in mesh with the ring gear I36. It will also be apparent that the chucks it are further accelerated in their rotation by having the ring gear I36 driven in the opposite direction from that of the rotation of the drum 20, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

In order to prepare the nuts for the sawing operation a stationary file or grinding member I80 is provided, as best shown in Figs. 4 and 6. As illustrated, the file I60 is supported by bolts I562 which extend through clearance holes in the stationary drum I00. Springs ltd are provided to fit over the bolts I52, between the file IE0 and the drum I04 so that the file is permitted to yieldingly engage the nuts in the chucks It as they pass by. This filing operation serves the purpose of grinding away the hard, crusted outer surface of the shell so as to save the wear and tear on the saw and also insures a more uniform diameter of the nuts which is of great advantage when the sawing operation is performed, as will be described. A retaining member I65 secured to the drum I02 is provided to bear against the end of the file I60, to hold it in proper alignment and prevents the bolts I62 from binding in the clearance holes, when the pressure of the nuts against the file is applied.

Provision is made for sawing-a groove around the periphery of the nut, and the groove may extend through the entire shell down to the kernel or be arranged to terminate close to the kernel to avoid injuring the same. For this purpose a circular saw 200 is provided which is arranged to be independently driven in a clockwise direction as shown by the arrow in Fig. 4. It will be observed that the nuts are also rotated on their axes in .a'clockwise direction so that combined surface speed of the nut andthe saw .operate to result in a very high cutting speed which is very desirable to permit the machine to be operated at a maximum speed and with high efhciency.

Asillustrated in Figs. 4 and 6, the saw 2001s clamped on the end of a shaft 202 by a nut 203. The shaft 202 is journalled in bearings 206, 206, and 208 in an offset lever 2I0, the latter being fulcrumed on a stud 2I2, fixed in a bracket 2. The shaft 202 is arranged to be driven by the motor 2I6 adjustably mounted one. base 224 through the belts 2I8 which run over a pulley 220, fast on the shaft 202 and a pulley 222 attached to the motor shaft. The offset lever 2 I 0 is supported at its upper end by an angle piece 226 fastened to the bracket I30. The angle piece 226 is provided with a compression spring 228 at the end thereof, one end of which rests against the lever H0 and the other end of which bears against a washer 230. A nut 232 is provided to adjust the position of the spring for the proper tension. As a result of this construction, the saw 200 is yieldingly held against the nuts as they pass by, and in order to further increase the pressure of the saw against the nuts, a sec! ond spring 234 is provided which has one end hooked in a stud 236 attached to the lever H0 and the other end adjustabiy secured to an upright channel 238 fastened to the machine frame.

Provision is made for adjustably limiting the depth of the cut or groove in the nut and, as illustrated herein, a guard 250 which follows the contour. of the saw is arranged to bear against the nuts and thereby prevent the saw from cutting beyond a predetermined depth. The guard 250 is mounted on a bracket 249 for lateral adjustment toward and from the nuts in a groove formed on the top of the bearing 208. A tongue 252 formed on the bracket 249 fits in the groove 25L In order to adjust the guard for different depths of cut an adjusting screw 254 is provided which fits into the tongue 252 of the bracket 249. The adjusting screw 254 is held from lateral displacement by a retaining member 256 secured to the hub 208 by screws 258. A groove in the hub of 'one face of the tongue 252 by set screws 264 secured in a lug 266 on the hub 208. Thereafter, the bolts 268 may be tightened down to hold the locking member 262 in place. Elongated holesor slots are provided for the bolts 268 to allow the locking. member 262 to be pressed against the face of the tongue 252 by the set screws 264.

In the operation of the machine,'the grinding operation; as above described, prepares the nuts for most efficient sawing, enabling the sawing operation to be adjusted to form the cut extremely near to the kernel.

After the sawing operation has been performed, provision is made for removing the nuts from the chucks l6 and splitting them along the groove made by the saw. For this purpose a spider 300 is provided which carries a plurality of splitting mechanisms, indicated generally at 38!. The spider 300 is keyed to a shaft 302 journalled in suitable bearings in supporting brackets 304 and 306. The shaft 302 is arranged to be driven by a chain 308 which runs over a sprocket 310 fast on the shaft 302 and a sprocket 3I2 fast on theshaft 52. The spider 300 is preferably driven in timed relation to the rotation of the chuck carrying drums 20, in such a manner that as each nut carried in the chucks l6 comes along, an individual splitting mechanism is presented thereto.

Referring now to Figs. 4, 5, 7 and 8, each splitting unit includes a set of splitting jaws 320 and 322. One pair of splitting jaws 320 is fulcrumed on shoulder studs 324 which are secured to the spider 300 by nuts 326. The other pair of splitting jaws 322 is f'ulcrumed on shoulder studs 328 which, are secured to a double armed supporting lever 330 by nuts 33l The lever 330 is arranged to rock on fulcrum pins 332 which extend into bearings 334 on brackets 336, The brackets 336.

are fastened to the spider 300 by bolts 338, as

' shaped to fit the contour of the nut. The thin section of metal 3 remaining below the countersunk portion is likewise cut to conform to the shape -of the kernel or the bottom of the groove in the shell. The splitting jaws are arranged to be opened to receive a nut and, as herein illustrated, a 'cam 342 is provided which cooperates with cut out portions 344 in the splitting jaws 320. The cam 342 is fixed to one end of a stud 346 which extends through ahole in the spider 300. The other end of the stud 346 has fixed thereon a cam lever 348 which carries a cam roll 350 at its; outer end. The cam roll 360 cooperates with a stationary closed cam 352 which fits loosely over the shaft 302 and is held in a stationary position by a bolt 354.

Each pair of gripping jaws 320 and 322 is provided with a compression spring 355, the ends of which fit into holes drilled in extensions 35! of the jaws 320 and 322. The spring 355 normally tends to urge the opposite jaws together when not acted upon by'the cam 342. In order to release the nut from its gripped position in the chucks [6, to permit the transfer to the splitting jaws 320 and 322, stationary cams 356 and 358 are provided which cooperate with the cam rolls H2 on the levers I08 to spread the chucks I6 away from each other, as illustrated in Fig. 5. The stationary cams are mounted on top of the brackets 304 and 306, respectively.

From the above description it will be apparent that as the drum 20 rotates to advance the nuts in the chucks l6 toward'the splitting mechanism, the splitting jaws 320 and 322 are opened to receive the nuts. It will be further observed that as the chucks and the jaws are further advanced, the splitting jaws close in around the nut and the chucks are spread apart to release the nut, thereby effecting the transfer from the chucks to the jaws. It will also be noted that when the splitting jaws are closed in around the nut the thin out out sections 34l of the jaws fit into the groove in the nut and both pairs of jaws cooperate to support the nut. For the sake of clearness in illustration all the splitting jaws are not shown in Fig. 4, but it is to be understood that splitting jaws are provided all the way around the spider 300. Provision is made to spread the jaws 322 away from the jaws 320 in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 8 in order to perform the splitting operation while the jaws are still in their closed position and in contact with the nut, as shown in Fig. 7. As above described, the pair of jaws 322 are secured to the lever 330 and, as illustrated in Figs. 5 and 8, a cam lever 360 is pivotally supported by the lever 330 on a. stud 362. The cam lever carries a cam roll 364 at one end thereof which is arranged to cooperate with a. stationary cam 366 fastened to the hub of the bracket 304. The cam roll 364 comes in contact with the cam 366 as the spider 300 rotates during the operation of the machine. A second arm or extension 368 on the cam lever 360 carries a pressure block 312, preferably comprising a piece of fibre, which is arranged to bear against the jaws 322 to prevent them from opening when the splitting operation is performed, as-will be described.

Dowel pins 310 are provided in the ends of the jaws 320 and 322 and are arranged so that one end of the pins are fixed in the jaws 3%, the other ends fitting loosely in clearance holes provided in the jaws 322. This arrangement insures that the two pairs of jaws will open and close together, and at the same time permits the jaws 322 to be spread apart from the jaws 32b to pry the shells off the kernel, as shown in Fig. 8.

From the description thus far, it will be observed that as the splitting unit advances in the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 4, the cam. roll 36% will come in contact with the stationary cam 3% and through the pressure applied by the pressure block 372 on the jaws $322 the lever 33d will turn on its fulcrum 3532. The jaws are pivoted at their upper edges and are caused to spread apart and break away the shells from the kernel along the groove made by the saw. The pressure block in assists in holding the jaws in their gripping position around the nut and prevents the jaws from spreading apart under the influence of the prying action during the splitting operation.

Directly after the splitting operation is performed, the jaws are caused to open again to release the kernel and the removed shell. The cam roll 3% travelling in the path of the stationary cam 352 operates to turn the lever $58 in the spider Silt and thereby turn the openingv cam 53432 to open the jaws, as illustrated in Fig. The released kernel and shells thereafter are permitted to fall through a chute 3th to a moving belt liiii on the delivery conveyor filth The delivery conveyor, supported by brackets Lid? on the underside of the platen of the framework of the machine, is arranged to 'be driven by a chain see which runs over a driving sprocket tilt fast on the shaft 58 and a sprocket itt fast on a conveyor shaft sill. The conveyor is provided with a pulley M2 at one end fast on the shaft tilt and an idler pulley did at the other end over which the belt 5% runs.

From the description thus far it will be observed that the present machine operates to separate the kernels from the shells of the nuts in an automatic efhcient manner, and while the preferred embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied in other forms within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a machine of-the character described, in combination, a plurality of gripping members cooperating in pairs, means for revolubly supporting the gripping members, means for rotating the gripping members of each pair about their own axes, means for opening and closing the gripping members, means for feeding individual nuts to said gripping members, while the latter are opened, a grinding member disposed in the path of the nuts and adapted to reduce the shells of said nuts to a substantially uniform diameter, and a rotary saw succeeding the grinding member and adapted to saw a groove in the shells of said nuts as they are being carried by said rotating and revolving gripping members.

2. In a machine of the character described, in combination, a plurality of gripping memberscooperating in pairs, means for revolubly supporting the gripping members, means for rotat ing the gripping members of each pair about their own axes, means for feeding individual accuses are being carried by said rotating and revolving gripping members, and spreading means insertable into said groove for spreading apart the sections of the shell of the nut.

3. In a machine for opening the shells of nuts, in combination, nut holding means, means for moving the nut holding means, a grinding member to which successive nuts are presented by the nut holding means whereby to reduce the shells of the nuts to a substantially uniform diameter, and a cutting member to which the nuts are successively presented by the nut holding means.

4. In a machine for opening the shells of nuts, in combination, a grinding member for removing irregularities from the surface of a nut, reducing it to a substantially uniform diameter, a cutting member for cutting a slot-in the shell of the nut, nut holding means, means for moving the nut holding means to present a nut first to the grinding member to perform the grinding operation and then to the cutting member to perform the cutting operation, and means for spreading apart the cut portions of the shell of the nut.

5. In a machine for opening the shells of nuts, in combination, a plurality of movable nut holding devices, means for moving the same, a grinding member disposed with relation to the path of movement of the nut holding devices whereby successive nuts are presented thereto to be reduced by the operation of the grinding member to asubstantially uniform diameter, and a cutting member also disposed with relation to the movement of the nuts for thereafter cutting the shells of the nuts to facilitate theopening thereof.

6. A machine of the character described, having, in combination, means for storing a bulk supply of the nuts to be opened, a revoluble circular supporting member, means to revolve said supporting member, a plurality of pairs of grip- 'saw succeeding the grinding means and to which successive nuts are presented by said movable gripping devices for cutting peripheral grooves in the shells of the nuts, and means for spreading apart the sections of the shells of the nuts.

7. A machine of the character described, having, in combination, means for storing a bulk supply of the nuts to be opened, a standard, a movable endless supporting member mounted upon said standard, means to move said supporting member, aplurality of pairs of gripping devices individually rotatably mounted upon said supporting member around the periphery thereof, a circular saw carried by the standard to which successive nuts are presented by said movable gripping devices for cutting a peripheral groove inthe shells of the nuts substantially.

intermediate the ends thereof, and, a rotatably mounted spreading assembly including pairs of spreader Jaws, one jaw of each pair being hinged to cooperate with the other. jaw of the pair; each jaw of each pair having nut groove engaging portions adapted to receive the nuts from the endless supporting member, and cam means for separating the jaws,

8. A method of shelling nuts such as Macadamia nuts comprising, removing irregularities SAMUEL B. FIELD. 

